Salathe Wall El Cap Video February 23 2016

Check out this rough video recording of our ascent of El Cap via the Salathe..20 minutes long..thanks to John Fischer for the edit. We hauled to Heart Ledge on the first day at about 250m, rapped the second day then climbed Free Blast back to heart Ledge, slept the night and fixed to Lung Ledge (one pitch), then realized we didn't have enough water; rapped to the ground and a rest for a few hours, fetched water then jumared back up to Lung ledge, then it was 3 more nights and four days climbing to the top..a slow effort..some 20 hour days..but we made it nonetheless. Hardest thing physically and mentally I've ever done..we didn't free climb anything harder than about grade 22..it was 30 degrees, exhausted from hauling, dehydrated etc. Only a couple of pitches up to that grade level (22) would rate 3 stars if they were one pitch climbs.. The best quality pitches are grade 27+, and the headwall (31) is the greatest crack pitch I've ever seen (took us 5 hours to aid). In hindsight, the way to go would be light and as free as possible..like a 24 hour push with a few hours rest if needed, just a few snacks and a few litres water, and just yard on the gear when its too hard. Id never do a big wall again,,a grueling epic, but some of the best positions in climbing I've ever been.